Pres. of Iran!

[emt103c]

Okay so they ban famous musicians, they ban people for alcoholism and marijuana use from 25 years ago, they ban people for articles they wrote, and they ban people for "immigrant intent"

HOWEVER the President of Iran is allowed to waltz into the middle of New York?! I realize there are restrictions on his visit, but does anyone here believe he should even be allowed to transit through one of our airports much less address a crowd at Columbia University?

There is no consistency! This guy publicly stands against everything this country stands for, there is supposed proof that he is funding the insurgency in Iraq and he is happy to see our troops slaughtered in Iraq.

And our country in its infinite wisdom lets him come right in!

[nsoto]

OMG! Don't even get me started! I heard something about Columbia University would have let Hitler come in speak there during WWII if he wanted tooo..When I heard that I was like ***?

I also heard that the President of Iran also wanted escorts to ground zero! HELL NO! Go on your own time, and WHY the hell are you coming to a country that you condemn and hate so much..

[emt103c]

Yeah! He was trying to get permission to go to Ground Zero, apparently that was where they drew the line...

A little standard???

[IBMMuseum]

...HOWEVER the President of Iran is allowed to waltz into the middle of New York?! I realize there are restrictions on his visit, but does anyone here believe he should even be allowed to transit through one of our airports much less address a crowd at Columbia University?

There is no consistency! This guy publicly stands against everything this country stands for, there is supposed proof that he is funding the insurgency in Iraq and he is happy to see our troops slaughtered in Iraq.

And our country in its infinite wisdom lets him come right in!

#1: He's "Head of State" for a country...

#2: His destination is the UN, which doesn't have any way in other than through the United States...

[nsoto]

Yes, I also heard that he was here for the UN.

[slubberry]

Even though people may not agree with his views ( if they are even his political views not those of his puppet masters ), people do have the right of free speech and discourse. His "lecture" at Columbia allows the students a rare glimpse of his views/rhetoric without being filtered by the mass media. I personally think it would be fascinating to find out why he holds such views. It would give us alot better insight to what drives him and others like him to such views ( and how deeply he/they hold their views). Same thing goes with Hitler too, who wouldn't like to be able to confront these men face to face on their views?

Columbia University is an institution of learning and you can't learn without having opposing views to challenge your own.

[Pinkpig]

The United States is required to grant him a visa to come in to speak at the United Nations as part of our agreement with the United Nations.

The President of Iran has been invited to Columbia University to speak as part of their distinguished leaders program.

Columbia University students physically and verbally attacked members of the minutemen organization a few months back when they were invited to speak at Columbia University.

Columbia University does not allow ROTC on their campus. If a student wants to participate in ROTC they must do so on another campus.

[emt103c]

The United States is required to grant him a visa to come in to speak at the United Nations as part of our agreement with the United Nations.


This is very good to know.

One of my points is actually the accusation our government makes that Iran is funding of attacks in Iraq, on U.S. forces...my point is only, why exactly would we want--except since it is part of the UN agreement--to host even a gov't leader if they are as dangerous as our government is saying? We would not have allowed Hussein in the middle of the war to visit the US even for the UN, would we?

If he is really doing these things...........

[Elmoticky]

I would have to think that you have enough worries due
to your immigration issue.

If you have followed Bush`s toy war, you should be smart
enough to figure out by now that his junta will do anything
to paint Iran as Iraq`s weapons supplier.

That Iran`s president is in this country is evidence that no
one feels threatened by this man, only of course Bush and
Cheney. Please do not worry about politics at your time of
need of information about immigration issues.

No one should tell another person what to do. I do that not
here.

You seem pretty smart. Do not fall for that propaganda.

Good luck in your immigration endeavor.

Elmoticky

[slubberry]

One of my points is actually the accusation our government makes that Iran is funding of attacks in Iraq, on U.S. forces...my point is only, why exactly would we want--except since it is part of the UN agreement--to host even a gov't leader if they are as dangerous as our government is saying? We would not have allowed Hussein in the middle of the war to visit the US even for the UN, would we?


He was invited by the U.N. but he chose to send an ambassador instead ( I think the press referred to him as Comical Ali ). If he chose to come, the U.S. would have been obligated not only to grant him entrance, but to provide a "reasonable" amount of security as well. I'm not sure if the U.S. is under the same obligation if we were actively at war with the country. A prime historical example of this is that during the cold war with Russia, Russian presidents have visited the U.S. several times even though we labeled them the "evil empire."

[USCwifeinUtah]

Actually, I thought he sounded remarkably like Hillary Clinton and John Kerry in his views on the US. It does make sense that he would have to be able to have a visa since he is the head of a state.

But that's just me.

[DaveH]

Slubberry, you made a comment back aways saying that everyone has the right to free speech. Uhhhhh, no. They do not. He is not a citizen of this country and is threfor not entitled to that American right. Why does he hold those views? Like Hitler, he needs a scapegoat to promote himself as the saviour of his people. Its the haves versus the havenots. We have and are therefor the enemy of the havenots. Its easy to demonize the rich to the poor and collect their devotion if you promise equality or redistribution of wealth. Simple to do when the masses are generally ignorant and hungry. A tedious replication of every other dictator.

[slubberry]

Slubberry, you made a comment back aways saying that everyone has the right to free speech. Uhhhhh, no. They do not. He is not a citizen of this country and is threfor not entitled to that American right. Why does he hold those views? Like Hitler, he needs a scapegoat to promote himself as the saviour of his people. Its the haves versus the havenots. We have and are therefor the enemy of the havenots. Its easy to demonize the rich to the poor and collect their devotion if you promise equality or redistribution of wealth. Simple to do when the masses are generally ignorant and hungry. A tedious replication of every other dictator.


He may not but Columbia University, as well as the faculty and students, have the right to free speech and for free speech to be heard. The university has an obligation as a place of learning to have opposing views no matter how distasteful it may be to further the learning process.

If his views are truly for political gains, then he can easily be persuaded to change his position. That may be the case since another posted that he sounded like Hillary. If they aren't, we should at least try to find out what makes him ( and others like him ) take such views so we can combat such extreme views.

[corazoncita]

emt103c-- I agree 100% with you. I do feel threatened by this man, and even though the US was required to let him in, I think it is totally hypocritical. Even if he's not technically dangerous, he still disrespects our country and displays a tremendous amount of hate for Americans... and while he's coming here to partake in our right of "freedom of speech," just what would happen if a leader from the US showed up at an Irani university to speak? Irani students are probably not even allowed to question their OWN political leaders without ending up in jail.

At the same time, I do think it's good that the students were allowed to question the president of Iran... I hope they ripped him a new one! LOL

[DaveH]

The only way to beat someone like that is either the populace becoming better off or making him disappear in the middle of the night.